TECH:Computer Ethics - WordPerfect 9 (IT)

Summary

(1 IT day) We make "ethical" decisions every day. Many of these decisions are made routinely, out of habit, or on a subconscious level. Personal values and ethics should be identified and their impact understood when making personal choices and decisions. Students will identify and conscientiously and consciously reflect on personal values and ethics and their relationship in all aspects of life.

Materials

Each student needs a copy of the five-page Ethics lesson, Ethics Quiz, and Ethics worksheet.

Background for Teachers

Life is full of little choices. Learning to make choices begins at birth and is a growing process as we are confronted with choices every day. As we grow and get older, our choices, and, consequently, our decisions, become more important and become our patterns of behavior. Personal choices and decisions begin to shape our attitudes, our self-image, our lifestyle, and how we are perceived by others. Choices or decisions made are impacted by personal values and society's "code of conduct" also known as ethics. Ethics are about the individual's relationship with life.

Intended Learning Outcomes

*Students will understand that ethics is intertwined in all aspects of life. **Students will understand and be able to define related ethics terminology. ***Students will become aware that personal values and ethics change as we grow older, gain more self-awareness, and begin to focus on the future and career goals. ****Students will recognize and understand that an ethical person is a good citizen at home, at school or work, and in the community. *****Students will become aware the INDIVIDUAL ATTITUDES ABOUT AND BEHAVIORS ON THE COMPUTER HAVE BECOME A WORLDWIDE CONCERN.

Instructional Procedures

*Teacher-directed group instruction, read-along, and discussion as a stand-alone lesson -OR- **Included in other instructional units such as Human Resources, Computer Basics, Internet. ***The ethics quiz is designed to bring conscious-level recognition and evaluation of ethics and should be for the "students eyes only" to avoid privacy issues.

Extensions

Students are divided into small groups, given ethical situations and asked to evaluate the behaviors as ethical, unethical, and/or criminal from the students' viewpoint as well as from a business view. Divide the class into small groups of 3-4 students giving each small group a hypothetical business situation. Are all workplace and/or career behaviors black and white? Students are confronted with real-life dilemmas. Do they agree with the behaviors? *This extension of the lesson will require an additional class period but is a valuable learning experience!

Assessment Plan

*Classroom discussion and interaction--invite students to share thoughts, ethical situations they face daily, weekly, etc. **Have students complete Ethics Quiz to enhance self-awareness and conscious-level think of ethics. STUDENTS DO NOT TURN IN QUIZ. ***Students complete ethics worksheet.

Bibliography

Ethical Situations created by Craig Talbot adapted from Colleen Vawdrey, Summer 1990.